Our Forgotten Promise
by Doki
Summary: In this world what is life without living? Hiei questions this often but suddenly may find a reason to go on! Though he might die just when he's ready to live! Please R&R!
1. Jagan Eyes

All Yu Yu Hakusho characters (c) Respective Owners Genkan (c) Amber M. aka Doki  
  
----------  
  
Hiei was watching with Kurama, Kuwabara, and Jin as Yusuke was in an intense battle with Shoko, a little demon boy. Hiei glimpsed over at Keiko, Yukina, Botan, and Shizuru (spelling) who were cheering Yusuke on from the stands. The crowd roared as Yusuke blasted three shots in a row of his Spirit Gun. They gang's fans seemed to increase after the defeat of Tougoro. (spelling!!!) Shoko took a blast to his power arm and was sent spinning to the outside of the ring. The kid bounced back up and began spinning like a top. Gusts of wind blew violently throughout the stadium. Jin laughed, "Ha! That kid's not half-bad!"  
  
"Hey! Who the heck are you rootin' for!?" Kuwabara squealed, trying hard to maintain his footing.  
  
Yusuke was struggling himself, trying to stay on his feet and keep his balance. The tornado of Shoko scraped into the side of Yusuke and tried to suck him in. "AAAHH!!!" Yusuke screamed and narrowly pulled out of Shoko's power. "Alright! Playtime's over, little boy!" The wind seemed to increase in power. Yusuke ran along the side of the ring, running from the tornado.  
  
Kuwabara sweat-dropped a little. "Uh... is it just me—or does it look like Urameshi is running from the toddler?"  
  
"He must be coming up with a strategy of some sort," Kurama said while shielding his eyes from the dust.  
  
"O—err—he could just be scared right out of his wee little mind, I say!" Jin roared with laughter then hollered to Yusuke, "Hey, Yusuke!" Yusuke glanced over at Jin. "How the weather be up there! Ha, ha!" Yusuke just growled and attempt to attack Shoko directly but was hurled away off the tornado.  
  
"What!? I thought this stupid tornado was supposed to suck me in!?" Yusuke cried as he got up and continued running around the ring. Everyone had little sweat drops at the witnessing of Yusuke being stupefied. Well, everyone except Hiei...  
  
Though, Hiei wasn't very focused on any of this because his mind was cluttered with strange thoughts and it was like he couldn't hear or see anything that was going on around him. A girl kept whispering to him and a blurry figure was reaching out to him. Who was she? Why would she be calling out to him now? He had been having dreams and nightmares about a girl as well. The same girl. Was he trying to save her or was she trying to save him? Suddenly, he was floating in an ocean and above he could see the bright sun, slowly dimming and then flickering out. He reached his hand for it when he heard the girl calling out. She was down in the depths but how could he hear her if she was under the water too. Hiei was running out of air and began to panic. He opened his eyes, waking up from the dream. He gasped for breath as he looked around at the noisy surroundings. The fight was still going on and he was dropped back into reality. No one seemed to have noticed him freaking out. He tried to calm down, taking deep breaths. Kuwabara looked down at him for a second, noticing that he was sweaty. "What's the matter? The fight too much for your puny self?" Kuwabara teased.  
  
Hiei looked up at him and scowled, "No. I think if anyone is exhausted, it should be you." Kuwabara glared back down at him and was going to say something but Yusuke was just then declared the winner of the battle. Everyone began grinning widely and jumping around except for Hiei who was still apprehensive.  
  
Later, the whole group was walking together down the dirt-road streets of a small island called the Hanging Islands. (Heh. Heh. Sorry, that's all I could come up with.) The sun was going down and a full moon was becoming brighter in the fading sky. Yusuke and the others were laughing. Hiei didn't notice. He was gazing up at the seemingly lonesome moon. Yusuke then became aware of Hiei's tragic looking eyes. Yusuke said, "Hey, Hiei." Hiei looked up. "You're uncharacteristically quiet—Heh. Something wrong?"  
  
"Yes, you seem rather somber," Kurama looked concerned.  
  
Hiei muttered, "No." Then he continued to walk away while the others stopped in their tracks, watching him; wondering what exactly he meant.  
  
"His emotions are really hard to read but..." Shizuru expressed but was cut off.  
  
"He probably doesn't know what emotions are," Kuwabara groaned, being tired. Shizuru gritted her teeth and kicked him in the shin. "OW!!! What did you do that for!" Kuwabara whined and bent over to rub his leg.  
  
Yukina pouted, "Poor Hiei. I wish he would tell us what's wrong—so we could help him."  
  
Kuwabara jumped up and stepped in front of Yukina, "Well, the fact is he doesn't want to tell us and probably never will. Whatever it is, I'm sure he can handle it so we shouldn't get involved."  
  
"Ri—ght," Yusuke raised an eyebrow.  
  
Hiei was now just wandering aimlessly through the dark side of the small town with his head bowed. Then the Jagan eye began to glow strangely. Hiei halted to a stop and put his hands to the sides of his head. It began to bring great pain to him. "What the Hell," he growled and dropped to his knees. Then he heard some rustling in the bushes and a strange, reddish, wind started swirling around him. The wind took form of a dragon but it was red with yellow glowing eyes. It was not something Hiei's Jagan eye could have formed.  
  
"Are you afraid?" a cold, female voice spoke.  
  
Hiei clenched the dead grass below him, "What? Who's there!?"  
  
"Hmph," the young lady grunted and stepped out of the shadows. She had very long, shiny, black hair tied back in a large yellow bow. Around her forehead was a black headband. Long bangs hung at the sides of her emotionless face. Her eyes were yellowish and sort of startling. She wore an all black ninja outfit and at her sides hung short twin blades with dragon-head hilts. Around her neck hung a golden pendant on a short chain. She took a few steps toward Hiei and stopped.  
  
Hiei stood up and was a few inches taller then her. He mumbled, still in pain, "Who are you?"  
  
She hesitated, "Genkan." (I think it means "intense cold") Genkan still showed zero-emotion, almost as if to be soulless.  
  
Hiei was slightly surprised to get such a direct answer. He hadn't recalled ever seeing her in his lifetime. Perhaps she had seen him at a tournament before. He decided to play along for a while. "You must be a demon. What kind?" Hiei took notice to the headband.  
  
"Hm. Yes, I'm a demon of lightning and earth—but I also have extended powers beyond that..."  
  
"Similar to my Jagan eye?"  
  
Genkan smiled slightly, "You might say that." She slipped her headband off to reveal a red colored eye. "I wonder which Jagan produces a more fierce beast?"  
  
Hiei grinned, "So, you're challenging me. Is that it? I don't know if you're worthy. Do you always just come out of the blue and ask supposed fighters for challenges?" Genkan shrugged and nodded. "Hmph. I'll except your challenge. You'll regret it and pay very..."  
  
"Dearly?" Genkan finished and Hiei gritted his teeth. She zipped backwards, a distance away. "And of course anyone should be able to peg you out as a fighter. A fool could sense that you're some kind of 'special' demon." She awaited Hiei to be ready. Hiei frowned and took a few steps back, feeling less pain now. He slipped his headband off as well and it floated away in the wind. The red dragon had already returned to Genkan for it was nowhere to be seen. "You ready?" Genkan asked.  
  
Hiei simply nodded and his Jagan eye opened up. He thought to himself... 'Hm. I don't believe she could possibly control a more powerful beast than I can so I'll show her the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. Heh, It'll be the LAST thing she ever sees.' Hiei's power erupted around him as he watched Genkan steadily. She hadn't done anything yet. Hiei couldn't even feel any of her power as if it was incredibly weak or invisible. He was being hesitant now because it wouldn't be fun to just obliterate her without a fight. "What's the problem?" Hiei queried.  
  
"There's no problem—Don't let up on your strength," she sensed him calming his energy.  
  
"Grr..." Hiei didn't care if she got destroyed now. 'You'll pay for being a fool.' His energy exploded and the Dragon of the Darkness Flame was ready to be released. 'How can she still be so smug?' "Farewell!" He yelled and the Dragon of the Darkness Flame was released from Hiei. Genkan dropped her jaw a little. She seemed surprised that so much power had come from him. Her red Jagan glowed and the red dragon made itself visible. 'What!? Her beast had been hiding the whole time!?'  
  
"That's right, Hiei! The Dragon Spirit of Silence can conceal itself in the winds of the night until I call upon it!" Genkan had read his thoughts. "Now, we'll see who is stronger!"  
  
Hiei felt Genkan's full power now that the dragon was visible once again. The Dragon of the Darkness Flame was already heading for Genkan but the Dragon Spirit of Silence had moved swiftly to protect her. The two dragons collided as the Jagan eyes watched. Finally, the light simmered down and Hiei and Genkan gazed across at each other in awe. Neither of the attacks had reached the other, or so it seemed. Genkan closed her eyes as a drop of blood trickled down her cheek. "Hmph," she paused, "I was wrong to underestimate you. It's just strange to see a demon hang out with—humans." Hiei's eye twitched when she mentioned that and sweat drop rolled down his forehead. Genkan continued, "It made me think you might be weak."  
  
Hiei shook his head around, "Uh, well, you were wrong—and that just might get you killed someday."  
  
"Hm," she sighed, "There is actually another reason that I've located you today—tonight." Hiei listened. "You have been seeing—a girl—in your mind. Correct?" he nodded his head. "Do you know who she is?" he shook his head. He wondered... "Before you think it, no. It was not me. She is a spirit of what has been, what is, and what is to come. In short, the duration. An Aura. Is what they are called."  
  
"What does she want from me?"  
  
She smiled, "That I don't know. I was hoping you did." Hiei said nothing, "And so, that brings a small task for you to accomplish."  
  
"And by small, you mean..."  
  
"Hm. It depends, I guess." Hiei frowned and listened for more, "You are going to have to come with me on my way to Kon."  
  
"Kon?"  
  
"Yes, Kon is a—district—in the Underworld..."  
  
Hiei tilted his head, "I'm sorry but did you say 'the Underworld' as in the Demon Underworld?"  
  
"Heh, yes. The Demon Underworld is where Kon is located. If you want this girl to stop bothering you, then you are going to have to accompany me to the Underworld." They both stopped because of something making noise in the area. Genkan thought, 'It was probably an animal.' Hiei nodded in agreement. "Do you want to go?"  
  
"If you say that this girl will stop bothering me then—Sure. I guess I'll go. Will I get anything in return?"  
  
"You mean, besides peace from that uttering fool?"  
  
Hiei laughed, "I take it, you're knowing of this—girl—isn't just telepathy or coincidence." Hiei paused. "And you sought me out purposely but unwillingly—So, who's making you do this?"  
  
"That pacifier sucking toddler," she mumbled, leering off to the side.  
  
Hiei's eyes narrowed and a sweat drop rolled down his face, "Koenma?" Genkan nodded and turned around, walking away.  
  
She stopped, "Well? Coming?" Hiei shook off the thought of ripping Koenma to shreds and followed after Genkan.  
  
----------  
  
Um, what do ya think? Hopes it's alright. ^_^ Oh, and I promise there will be more action in the future, even if this first chapter is... boring, which I hope it's not! Press the pretty REVIEW BUTTON and say something nice! Um, please! :D 


	2. Bleeding Pain

I do not own any of the Yu Yu Hakusho characters but I own Genkan, Rika (soon to come,) and this story. ^_^  
  
Okay, there was a "goof" in the last chapter. I stated that the Dragon Spirit of Silence was red first and then I said it was green a couple of times. It IS suppose to be red. Just to straighten that up.  
  
Now to continue with the story. To recap, Hiei was just leaving with Genkan to go to the Demon Underworld in order to find an Aura. Genkan is leading Hiei to a place called Kon. Here we go!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------  
  
Hiei slid his headband over his Jagan eye as Genkan had done. "What exactly are we going to do when we find this-Aura?" Hiei asked as they walked down a beaten path in the forest.  
  
She took a while to say something, "Hm. Well, Koenma simply ordered that you and I retrieve her from the Demon Underworld and bring her back to him."  
  
"Wait. Does HE know this-girl?"  
  
"I don't think so," Genkan muttered and slowed down. "Okay, be sure to follow closely, Hiei."  
  
Hiei glanced around at a placid lake, "Follow you where? What are we doing at this stupid lake?"  
  
Genkan looked up at the moon, "The moon must reflect itself at the center of this lake-and then," she paused, "A portal will open, long enough for us to get through." Hiei wondered if she passed from the demon world to the human world often. Genkan folded her arms, watching the moon's reflection slowly inch to the center.  
  
Hiei looked up at the moon, "Hn. You can only pass through the portal when the moon is full, right?" Genkan nodded.  
  
A small crack emerged from thin air and a shady light creaked through it. Hiei waited for Genkan's first movement. As it was opening, Hiei got another calling from the girl... 'Please save me, Hiei...' her voice was soft and fading but to Hiei it was like shattering glass. He grunted, closing his eyes tightly. Genkan turned her head quickly. She sent him a message, telekinetically... 'Hey, don't be falling apart now! We have to move!' The moon was aligned at the center finally but Hiei was feeling intense pain eating at him. Genkan could only grab his arm and drag him so she did. They got through the entrance but was there enough time to get out of the portal? Hiei felt like he was going blind and all he could see was black. Then he just fainted.  
  
When Hiei awoke, he was laying on his back, staring up into a dark gray sky. He could feel pebbles poking into his back and when his vision became focused, he could see Genkan sitting on a flat rock. She seemed to be staring blankly into the hills upon hills of dried up and cracked ground. Hiei sat up, feeling sick to the stomach. His mouth felt dry and vile. He took a few deep breaths before alerting Genkan to his regaining consciousness. Although, she had all ready sensed him awakening. She slid off the rock and went over to him.  
  
She asked, with her emotionless face, "Do you feel like hurling?"  
  
Hiei narrowed his eyes and then glared up at her, "Are you gloating?" He cradled his stomach and shook his head around.  
  
"Is it because of the Aura?"  
  
Hiei breathed out, "Probably."  
  
"Probably?"  
  
"Unless you're secret portal has some sort of sickening effect."  
  
Genkan looked down at the ground, wondering, "Do you suppose that you might be feeling HER pain?" Then she quickly added, "Nevermind. I do not wish to get involved with your feelings. I'm simply here to guide you-so once you are well enough to continue, let me know."  
  
"Hmph," Hiei smiled, feeling the noxiousness wearing off a little. He felt that the pain and sickness would only grow, the closer they got to the Aura. He decided that it wouldn't do any good to wait for it to go away completely and stood up, getting Genkan's attention. She stepped off a rock she was standing on and headed toward the many hills. Hiei trailed behind her.  
  
Later, when Hiei finally caught the same pace Genkan was on, there was nothing to be seen but more and more hills. Hiei mumbled, "You're sure this is the right way?"  
  
"Of course," she glanced at him. "You ARE feeling more painful-Correct?"  
  
Hiei looked back at her. She all ready knew, so he didn't say anything. The ground rattled and both of them stopped. A very large beast was rising from the ground. It was four-legged and looked to be a cross between a dog and a type of lizard. "Damn," Hiei groaned, sensing massive energy off the creature.  
  
Genkan sighed, being frustrated and annoyed, " 'Damn' is right." She looked him over, "I hope you can make yourself a little useful."  
  
Hiei gripped his sword, "I think a good fight can remedy this harassing pain." He slid the sword out of its sheath and assured Genkan, "I can handle it."  
  
She nodded, "Good. Because Koenma would have me burn in Hell for all eternity if you die." Then she drew out her twin blades, as the monster was about to devour them.  
  
They both dodged out of the way, zipping in different directions. Hiei attacked as the monster turned towards Genkan's direction. He slashed off one of its ears and dark red blood spurted from the wound. Hiei was soaked just after that and the monster howled. Genkan made a second attack, leaping onto the back of its neck and jabbing her blades into the back of its head. More blood gushed out. Since both Hiei and Genkan had extreme speed, they put many deep gouges into the beast in under a minute. Much blood had splattered on them and it seemed to keep coming like hard rain. The beast made a final long, echoing howl and exploded! Apparently that was the only devastating move it had but it was sacrificial. That very hard blow sent Hiei and Genkan blasting into the ground.  
  
Moments later, Hiei twitched in agony, trying to pick himself up from the deep crevice he made in the ground. The wall was crumbling down on him but he couldn't move. His skin was stained with stinging demon blood and he still felt noxious from the Aura. So he let the dirt cover him because he couldn't do a thing about it.  
  
And so... he was left to dream and have nightmares.  
  
--I can't see... Where am I? What is that sound? ...How am I suppose to help you and why would you choose me of all people? It doesn't seem right... because I am alone and it has always been that way... even if they claimed to be my friends... It doesn't seem right...  
  
'Are you okay?'  
  
Who's there?  
  
'Hey! Come on, I'm not even getting paid to take care of you! Wake up!'  
  
Sounds familiar... Somehow...  
  
'Hiei! Hiei!'  
  
Hm. I wonder if I'm dead. Everything is so quiet... dark... peaceful... Well... I hope that idiot will take care of my sister... She deserves the best...  
  
'Dammit, Hiei! Wake up!'  
  
Huh?--  
  
Genkan was mumbling to herself, ripping apart a white cloak. She dipped a smaller piece into a trough of clean water next to her and picked up Hiei's arm. Hiei came to. He was sleepy and everything was blurry but he could see Genkan clearly enough. She was wiping the harmful blood off him. She was still drenched with the demon's blood. Hiei rolled his eyes around, examining their new surroundings.  
  
"Where are we?" he coughed.  
  
Genkan flinched, shocked to see him awake, "Um-How are you feeling?" Hiei just stared. "Hm. We are at an abandoned-house-I guess that's what this once was. Perhaps a demon hunter inhabited this place."  
  
Hiei cleared his throat, "You think a human might have lived here?"  
  
"Can't you smell it?" She continued to clean the blood off him.  
  
"So, you chose to tend my wounds first?" he certainly smelled demon-blood aroma off her. "Isn't it painful?"  
  
"I believe you are much more needy than me right now." Hiei smiled, pondering whether she was caring for him to save herself from Koenma's punishment. Or was she being sincere in caring just for him? He fell asleep again, but without any dreams.  
  
By the time he woke up, Genkan had managed to rid their skins of the blood. 'How clean did she actually make me?' Hiei thought to himself, smirking.  
  
"I hope you weren't having nasty thoughts, Hiei," Genkan walked into the tiny room, sliding her cleaned blades into their sheaths. Hiei blushed, standing up. "Good, you can stand-Then let's get going to Kon. It isn't far now."  
  
The sky was even darker then before and occasionally they would see glowing pairs of eyes in the distance. They would ignore them for the most time so as not to further complicate their journey. Step by step, Hiei felt worse and worse. 'The Aura must have been tortured a lot,' he thought. Genkan didn't like to see him so weak. She remembered the amazing power she felt when he called on the Dragon of the Darkness Flame. Now someone else's pain was eating at him. She believed that no one should suffer for someone else's mistake. Hiei was reading her thoughts again and made Genkan embarrassed when she realized it.  
  
"It's not that I care about YOU," she spoke. "It's just-anyone in general."  
  
"Hm." Hiei smirked, feeling good for a second.  
  
They reached the end of a cliff and a ways down the slope they could see what looked like a village. "There's Kon," Genkan announced and Hiei gritted his teeth and closed his eyes. He put his hand over his heart. Genkan then felt a new emotion to her. Worry.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------  
  
There's the second chappy! Hope ya liked it and hope there's no "goofs!" Please review, please! ^_^ 


	3. Beneath the Surface

I do not own any of the Yu Yu Hakusho characters but I do own Genkan, Rika (still soon to come,) and this story. ^_^  
  
Not sure if there were any "goofs" in the last chapter so here's the recap, Hiei is becoming more and more weak now that he and Genkan have reached the Underworld city, Kon (where the Aura supposedly is.) Will Hiei live or die? Now to continue!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Hiei asked Genkan, who seemed to be a little shaky.  
  
Genkan twitched, "Nothing." Then she looked at him, "If you were wise, you'd stop talking and save what energy you have left to get to the city."  
  
"Hn." Hiei was dragging his feet a little, strongly disliking the Aura now. "I'm going to die here."  
  
Genkan stopped, sighing, "...No, you're not." She glanced at Hiei to reassure him then moved on. Hiei smiled a little then went after her.  
  
They approached Kon, just short of two miles now. Hiei was tagging behind Genkan. Then things became even blurrier for Hiei as he finally collapsed to the ground letting blood dribble out of his mouth. Genkan turned her head in alarm, looking down at shivering Hiei. She knelt down, feeling his face, which was clammy and cold. She gritted her teeth and tried talking to Hiei, "Hiei-Hiei-You're not going to give up on me now, are you? It'd be embarrassing to be carried into town by a female, right?" Hiei opened his eyes a little, groaning. Genkan nodded, "Good. It should only be a short distance until we find that annoying twit..." Genkan pulled Hiei up and he limped past her toward Kon's entrance.  
  
They arrived inside the walls of the old city Kon where a small number of demons dwelled. The demon's slept in buildings that were falling apart and down old ally ways. The ground was dry just as the whole city seemed. Genkan searched around for a place the Aura might be found in. She couldn't sense the Aura at all but Hiei could. He twitched an eye. He felt a surge of pain along with another flash of scenery....  
  
It was the Aura. She was gagged and blindfolded. She wore a ragged and torn cloak, dripping with blood. Her hands were chained above her head as she dangled against an old stone wall. She couldn't speak but Hiei could hear her in his mind. 'Help me, please...' she uttered in pain. 'You must know...' then the image shattered with the Aura screaming...  
  
"Uhg!" Hiei snapped out of his trance, gasping for breath as before.  
  
Genkan questioned, "What's wrong? Did you see something?" Hiei stared at the ground, still trying to catch his breath. "Hey! Wake up and tell me where she is so we can get out of here!" she touched Hiei's shoulder, feeling a fiery blast of his energy. "Ah, what the Hell's going on! Hiei you're losing it! Don't!" she yelled into his face but it was like he was somewhere else. Genkan growled then started zipping off in many directions, searching for the Aura.  
  
Hiei clenched his hair, holding on tightly. He squeezed his eyes shut, wishing the Aura would leave him alone. "Why'd you choose me?" he whispered in pain.  
  
Genkan stopped in front of a lower-class demon. "You. Do you know of any- activity-that may be going on somewhere in this city?"  
  
"Activity?" the scratchy voiced demon growled. "Look around. Do you see anything unusual? Heh. Heh."  
  
Genkan was losing her patience. Although, she may have lost that a long time ago. "Grr... Tell me! You DO know something so tell me what it is you know!" Her eyes began to glow as did her Jagan eye.  
  
The demon's eyes widened, "Oh-oh-Actually, um... maybe I did hear- something..."  
  
"Go on..." an evil echo seemed to speak with Genkan.  
  
"Y-Yeah, uh..." he gulped. "Suyaki told me of a youkai gang in hooded cloaks roaming around this area. They seemed to have also had prisoners of some kind. These prisoners looked like humans but one of them didn't smell like a human. And-and she didn't smell like a demon either, come to think of it... Th-that's all I know. I swear!"  
  
Genkan threw the demon aside and began to sniff out for a human scent. She did catch a human scent. 'Strange, I didn't notice it before...' she thought.  
  
Hiei was scrunched up in a ball, shivering. He twiddled his thumbs around beneath his chin. His head and heart wanted to explode. "Genkan..." he whimpered. "Gen..."  
  
Genkan batted a few demons around, moving them out of the way in order to find a trail or entrance somewhere. Dust began to swirl in circles, dancing across the seemingly weak ground. "I've lost all tolerance!" she growled then whipped of her headband to reveal the Jagan eye. The demons around all screamed and fled the area quickly. All but traumatized Hiei. "Beneath the surface!?" she shouted then a glow burst around her fists and she shot at the ground hitting it rapidly. A ring of fire grew violently around her and the ground began to sink. Hiei slid a little down the slope but was stopped by a large rock. Then the fire blew out and smoke clouded the area. The only thing heard was the light panting from Hiei and the wind. As the smoke cleared up, Genkan's shadow could be seen. She was staring down. Down at the glassy surface her feet stood on. Her face expressed irritation. She muttered, "What the hell is this?"  
  
Hiei picked himself up on his elbows then stood up weakly. He limped down the slope and stood at the edge of the half sphere bulging out of the ground. They could both see some sort of passage below them with stone bricks preventing the dirt from falling in. Genkan had made the ceiling of this passage fall in and now this barrier was preventing any outsiders from entering. She tapped her foot, watching little ripples bounce off from the light pressure. Hiei knelt down and reached his hand out to touch the barrier. Inching little by little, his knees began to slide off the edge and he fell through the barrier. Dust flew up from the crash of Hiei's dead weight. Genkan hopped over to where Hiei fell through and tried to drop down in the same spot but nothing happened and she just couldn't get through. She growled, watching Hiei pick himself up again. The passage was dark ahead. The only light was the small area surrounding him. The pain inside him grew faster. He couldn't take it so he jumped up and sped off into the dark. Genkan gasped, gritted her teeth then started pounding the ground with her flaming fists again. However, this time she was following the direction of Hiei by clearing the ground to follow the passage.  
  
She watched his shadow through what light was shining on him. He must have been getting closer to an opening. Rocks and rubble shot up into the air and it looked like a tornado was blowing by as she continued to follow and clear the roof of the passage. Finally she stopped, because Hiei stopped.  
  
Hiei stood at the edge of a ravine, staring down into a light. The Aura was at the bottom of the ravine, chained up and suffering. Sweat was pouring down Hiei's face and every pulse in his body was throbbing harshly. He could hear laughter. It was a sinister laughter. Genkan could hear it as well and wished so badly she could go down and destroy the youkai who was creating such a laugh. 'I wonder how big this youkai gang is? If it is a large numbered gang then... could Hiei actually beat them in his condition?' Genkan curled her fingers into a fist and pounded the barrier. With every beat of her fists impacting on the barrier came a white and red flash. Hiei glance up then took a deep breath and dropped off the edge.  
  
The wind rushing past him made him feel a little better. Only a little. Through his vision he could only see shades of blue and objects were rather blurry. 'I am the one who will destroy the demon race... but you will be spared because you have been chosen by me...' Words ran through Hiei's head but they were not his own. The Aura? Hiei's feet touched the ground but he felt as light as a feather. He lifted his head up and was watched by a gang of ten youkai. He could sense their power. From what he could see in the shadows of their hoods, they had human faces. One stepped toward him and lifted off his hood. A male youkai with two sharp fangs. He was a wolf youkai. "Hum. Tell me how you got through the barrier?" he said in a cold, raspy voice. Hiei said nothing. "You seem... weakened... but behind that head band is the Jagan eye... Am I right?" No response. The youkai turned to the others, "Riku, Kokufuu... grab him and chain him up. I want to know how he got through our barrier. He's not even a youkai, it should be impossible..."  
  
"Hn. I may be weakened but..." Hiei grinned. "I still have the power to take all of you down."  
  
The Aura was chained up in the shadows with a blind fold over her eyes and blood staining her skin. The rusty chains had pierced her skin... She smiled.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------  
  
Um, this chapter was a little short... Sorry but I hope that it still moves the story along well enough. Please, PLEASE leave a review! ^_^ 


	4. Battle of the Youkai!

I do NOT own any of the Yu Yu Hakusho characters. However I do own Genkan, Rika (Yes, STILL soon to come,) Ookami, the other nine youkai fellows and this story... phew... ^^;  
  
To recap what's been going on: In the last chapter, Hiei and Genkan entered Kon city only to find many lower-class demons. However when Genkan questions a demon she finds out there was indeed some suspicious activity happening in Kon. After losing her patience she discovers an underground passageway where only Hiei could enter and Genkan couldn't. Hiei reaches a seemingly bottomless pit and falls down to where ten youkai demons dwell. They had with them several human prisoners and one who was actually the Aura. Now, with Hiei so weakened, can he defeat the ten powerful youkai? Is the Aura one of good or one of evil? Find out now, my friends!  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------  
  
"You're not a youkai like us! Tell me how you got through!" The wolf youkai repeated. Then he turned back to Riku and Kokufuu. "What the Hell? I told you to grab him!"  
  
The two youkai sweat a little then bowed their heads in apology. "Oh! Right away!" They shuffled over to Hiei and started moving closer to him slowly.  
  
Riku grinned and said, "Take it easy, friend. We won't hurt you."  
  
Kokufuu added, "Well, not much..." They both chuckled.  
  
Hiei didn't step back. He stood in place, breathing heavily with blood trickling, rather flowing steadily out of the side of his mouth. He coughed a few times; closing his eyes then reopening them to see disfigured objects of red shading. The figures seemed to multiply then reduce repeatedly. The bloodstained bandanna fell to the ground and Hiei had realized it was his and the Jagan eye was exposed. "I'll be swallowed whole..." he muttered, just barely. Hiei could hear noises that he expected to be voices of the youkai but at the time it could just as easily be mistaken for his own eardrums beating in his head. Somehow, he could faintly feel the two demons nearing him.  
  
Riku's lemur ears twitched. "Hey, what the hell is that?" The demons looked up to see someone nearing them, falling down the huge hole. "It must be that meddlesome yasha!"  
  
Kokufuu turned to the youkai leader. "Ookami, what should we do?"  
  
"It may take her years to get down on this level. There are several barriers—each one, stronger then the next. So don't you worry about her... Just grab this pitiful demon so I can put him out of his misery."  
  
Riku and Kokufuu nodded and turned to Hiei, but he was no longer there...  
  
"Hey! Where'd he go!!!"  
  
"You said 'pitiful.' Did you not?" Hiei growled.  
  
Ookami dashed his eyes around, not amused. "So then, where are you young fellow? Is this some type of Jagan defense? Being fully concealed from enemy eyes? You must be part of a Youkai clan. How else could you have easily slipped through the Youkai barriers?" There was no answer. "Hello?" Ookami gestured the youkai to spread out. He looked back up the hole to see that Genkan was no longer there. "Huh? Where's that..."  
  
"AAAAHHH!!!" a piercing scream erupted from one of the youkai; a cat demon had fallen to the ground, shivering as if to be having a seizure. The youkais moved closer to examine the cat demon to find some sort of sizzling poison crawling along the demon's arm and back.  
  
Ookami barked, "...But this is..."  
  
"A sample of the Death Tree's doing." A chilled voice spoke.  
  
Ookami twitched, recognizing the voice. "Grr... How can it be? Youko?"  
  
Youko Kurama emerged from the shadows, letting the Death Tree retract back to a seed. "Ookami. I thought you had died long ago."  
  
"Just as I thought of you."  
  
"Ironic how much alike we are and yet so different."  
  
"Indeed." Ookami crossed his arms and glimpsed around the area once more. "Where's the fire demon? I assume he's associated with you somehow."  
  
Youko hesitated. He changed the subject. "You—all of you are known as Ten of Makai. Isn't that right?"  
  
Ookami laughed, "Heh. That's right. Heaven of Hell. Now, I want you to give me some answers about that fire demon. Is there something about him that is of great significance?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"Liar. You should know better then to lie to me. My senses are just as good as yours are. Maybe even better."  
  
Youko stared at the wolf youkai. They were much alike. Although, Ookami was of course of the wolf kind and Youko was of fox kind. Ookami had black wolf ears sticking out of his short, black, spiky hair with long ear tails. His eyes were half yellow and half green. (AND he has the same great body build as Youko! They're also the same height! ^^) Youko had met Ookami shortly before he had taken refuge in a human form. It wasn't a pleasant meeting nor was it a long one. They had passed each other at a place in the Spirit World. Ookami had just been fleeing from a crime scene where he had murdered an apparition. Youko cocked a half-smile. "You remember the time we first saw each other—after the death of Tenchi Tatsuya?" Ookami listened. "They blamed me for that death. It was counted as my sin."  
  
"Hm. Ah, yes. Master Tatsuya. Such a pity, we lost such a famous face. Don't worry Youko—The fine people of Spirit World were immediately notified of this little mix-up and I was pointed out as the culprit. It was sort of good thing and a bad thing because I was indeed awarded with such a superb victory and a well-respected title among demons but—additionally I received a one-way trip to Hell for eternity."  
  
"If I recall correctly, you were sent to TRUE Hell not the Demon Underworld, where we stand at this very moment."  
  
Ookami grinned. "Yes, I slipped through a secret gate to jump up a level..." he then caught a scent. Quickly, he dashed away after he felt the presence of Hiei. Hiei had slashed through the air and landed at the sport where Ookami had stood. "Nice try," Ookami growled.  
  
Riku and Kokufuu led the youkai in to attack him instantly. Youko leaped in front of Hiei and the eight youkai demons slid to a halt, unsure if they were allowed to attack the fox demon or not. They turned to Ookami, who was now leaning up against a rock wall behind them. Youko said, "I can't have you killing this demon."  
  
"Tell me why." Ookami stood up.  
  
"A friend's request."  
  
"FRIEND!? YOU have friends?"  
  
Youko's Death Tree began to grow off his arm again. "Back off or suffer the same fate as your other youkai friend."  
  
"So, you're choosing to kill off your own kind now, huh?"  
  
"If that's the way my road takes me. Yes."  
  
Hiei collapsed to the ground. His eyes were closed, except for the Jagan eye. Youko looked out of the corner of his eye at the brutally beaten fire demon. 'Hiei...' groaned the Aura. 'They'll kill all of your friends... Including your sister...' Hiei's eyes shot open. His fingers folded into vicious fists and he bolted up off the ground and out of sight. Youko turned to see only puddles of blood at his feet.  
  
Ookami fell into darkness and disappeared to the sound of painful cries. Kokufuu shuddered and watched a mysterious dragon weave around the area. He recognized the Dragon of the Darkness Flame and warned the Ten of Makai, "The Dragon! Fall back, everyone! Let's move!" Abruptly, the remains of the pack dashed away and disappeared.  
  
As the dust settled, the Dragon of the Darkness Flame had gone. Hiei took down two of the youkai maliciously. Youko stood silently, feeling somewhat disappointed since he hadn't gotten the battle he wished to have with Ookami. Hiei felt the once horrendous pain slip off his back but still he could feel something... He looked over to where the Aura was chained up. She was gone. One of the Ten of Makai must have taken her as they left. "Dammit..." he grumbled.  
  
Youko walked over to the large gaping hole and looked up it. He did wonder how Hiei had managed to get through the barriers.  
  
"Why are you here?" Hiei groaned, stretching his shoulder.  
  
"I came to assist in..."  
  
"No. Why are YOU here?"  
  
"Hm. You're wondering where Shuichi is? I'M here because only Youkai are supposed to be able to get through those barriers. How you got through, is a question." He stared up at the far away sky.  
  
Hiei cringed. "How did you know?"  
  
"A little voice." He paused. "A young female demon named Genkan told me."  
  
"Genkan... Where is she?"  
  
"How long have you known her?" Youko twiddled a small twig between his fingers, watching blankly.  
  
Hiei stared at Youko, trying to read his thoughts but getting nothing. "Hn." He groaned, wobbling up to a standing position. He found his tattered bandanna on the rocky floor and picked up, feeling muscles pulling and bones snapping in and out of place. Slipping it back over his forehead, he finally spoke. "We met in the mortal realm only days ago. I can't remember how many days exactly though. Where is she?" he asked again.  
  
Youko grumbled. "She's above." With that, Hiei paced over to the hole. Youko turned towards Hiei, making him stop.  
  
"What?" Hiei inquired.  
  
He hesitated. "I must know—What your relationship with Genkan is..."  
  
Hiei's eyes almost bulged of surprise after hearing that. 'Did he really just say that?' He dashed his eyes around, wondering himself, what his relationship with Genkan was. 'Wait, what the hell are you thinking!?' He answered, "It's—business. Koenma asked her to escort me to the Aura. Why are you interested?"  
  
"I'm not interested in her..."  
  
"Actually I was asking why you wanted to know."  
  
Youko sneered, looking at the wall. He hardly knew what words had fallen out of his mouth. "Alright..." he paused. "It's not—ever—my nature to be so openly interested in someone in such a way but in this case..."  
  
Hiei narrowed his eyes but he wasn't sure if he was angry, jealous, or just plain stupefied. "Y—You're saying you—like her?"  
  
"I'm fascinated by her strength. It's amazing."  
  
Now Hiei wanted to just burst with laughter. 'Ha! Little do you know that SHE is fascinated by MY strength.' Hiei smirked a little. "Youko, you know that soon you'll be held back in captivity and Shuichi will be on the outside again. Besides, Genkan will probably be off and running after her task is finished. Trust me, I know her type."  
  
Youko turned back to Hiei and coldly said, "If I didn't know any better, it'd seem like you're just trying to ward me off so you can have her."  
  
"Can you even hear yourself Youko?"  
  
"It's true, isn't it? You want her as more then a partner or friend!" Hiei shrugged and started to walk past Youko. "Hold it! You can't go back up there this way."  
  
"What are you talking about now? I still have a job to full-fill so I have to reunite with Genkan and get moving. We have to find that Aura so I can go back to fighting whenever I feel like it." He was about to leap up but Youko snatched his leg and pulled him back down. This infuriated Hiei, and he jumped up feeling a headache coming on. "What is your problem!?"  
  
Youko glared at Hiei. "I'm serious about her and I can't see YOU being serious about anyone but yourself. So, tell me if you plan on confessing your feelings for her. If you do, I swear I'll kill you."  
  
"Kill ME!!! You think YOU can kill ME!!! I don't know what I've said about you before—Having power—but over the time I have gotten stronger and I could take you down with ease!"  
  
----------  
  
Heehee.... there's the 4th chappy done! Youko and Hiei are getting into a heated argument that could ultimately destroy one of them! What will happen! Where is the Aura! Who is the Aura! Who is Genkan! Stay tuned to find out!  
  
P.S. Oh, I hope there aren't any "goofs" here... but if there are, I apologize. For instance, I don't know if I spelt Shuichi correctly... 


	5. Til Death Do Us Part

All Yu Yu Hakusho characters (c) Respective Owners Genkan, Ookami, the Ten of Makai (c) Amber M. aka Doki  
  
Here's the brief recap: Previously in Battle of the Youkai! Hiei was about to be tortured and murdered by Ookami, a wolf youkai, and the Ten of Makai who are at the time an unknown force but an unexpected visitor shows up to put a damper in the youkai's plans. It was Youko Kurama! He seemed to know Ookami from the past, not as a friend though, and they treat each other as respected rivals. During this time Hiei is warned by the Aura that the Ten of Makai was going to kill all those close to him, including Yukina. So he erupts from his pained situation and sets out on a rampage against the Ten of Makai; he managed to kill two of them. They quickly fled the area, following their leader, Ookami. Afterwards, Hiei and Youko got into an argument about Genkan and that's where we are now! So let's go!!! :D  
  
----------  
  
"There's only one way to settle this then," Youko muttered.  
  
"Hmph. I agree." Hiei stepped back into fighter stance, trembling immensely because of the atrocious amount of blood he had lost.  
  
Youko still stood normally. He said, "I want to fight on ground level where it's much more hazardous then down here."  
  
Hiei quickly darted up the gaping hole so as not to give away his weakened status. As he bounced back and forth between the walls he remembered what the Aura had said to him before. "They'll kill all of your friends... Including your sister..." 'I shouldn't linger for long. Sh, it'll be fine. I can be rid of Youko in an instance.' With that he leaped once more to reach the outside once again. The air actually tasted much better than it did below where it was rather vile. He walked away from the hole for a distance, wincing at the pain of every muscle. He stopped in place, searching the area for Genkan but she was nowhere to be found. Few lower- class demons had still loitered throughout the small city. Most of them had been sleeping.  
  
Youko shot up out of the hole and landed a short distance from Hiei. He took a fighter stance, signaling that he was ready to battle Hiei. "Now, a good clean fight to the end, Hiei."  
  
Hiei nodded and he slipped of his bandanna, knowing that the Jagan eye was his only chance of survival against the fully powered Youko. The Jagan glowed and his energy blew up around him. The Death Tree crawled into the open with each jaw snapping of voracious hunger. Hiei smirked, believing it to be easy for him to evade this monster though he knew that it might be difficult to kill it. A mouth of the Death Tree snapped at Hiei as he slipped out of the way and leaped into the air. He removed his sword from its sheath as an emergency defense. 'The Death Tree has strong bark and with me lacking force, it will be difficult to simply slice through it.' He stepped once on the ground then hopped over a few branches and into the air. 'Alright Youko. I WILL win this challenge.'  
  
Youko had been watching Hiei smugly as he waited behind the Death Tree patiently. He could only think of the satisfaction of victory. In fact, he could just taste it.  
  
Hiei had been reading Youko's thoughts and what he read really fired him up. Shooting straight into the Death Tree at what vigor was left in him, Hiei managed to hack through several branches of the Death Tree. The branches fell to the ground but the sizzling of the saliva still seemed persistent to crawl across live flesh. Hiei took a step on the ground and darted in for Youko. This proved to be unwise; Hiei took a direct hit from Youko's Death Tree. The teeth of a branch snapped at Hiei and caught a piece of him. He hastily tore away, leaving behind parts of the flesh from his arm. Blood poured out of the gash, stirring up the Death Tree's tastes even more.  
  
Youko's eyebrows lowered in displeasure and confusion. The saliva of the Death Tree surely should have finished Hiei off considering all of the previous agony he had endured. "Hm..."  
  
Hiei fell to his back, trying desperately hard not to reveal the pain of that attack. The saliva was really eating at his skin at a dangerously fast pace. He couldn't move and the entire Death Tree began to close in on him. Was this the end? "Damn..." Hiei managed to utter.  
  
"Youko!" a voice cried out.  
  
Youko pulled back the Death Tree, frowning in disappointment. Genkan dropped in between the two, looking at Hiei. Youko glanced at Genkan and she looked back at him with a look of revolt. Youko sighed as he watched Genkan jump over to Hiei's side. Blood seemed to flood around Hiei and the Death Tree's saliva had still been coursing through his veins. Genkan muttered, "Great. Now, you're really close to death. I'll have to use the maximum of my healing powers just repair this—We'll be flying with a broken wing."  
  
"Then—don't—waste your energy on me—I'm sure as dead anyway."  
  
"Fool. Haven't I told you before? Koenma will see to it that I burn in Hell if I allow you to die—And what the hell is with this weak attitude on you, Hiei?" Genkan turned towards Youko who stood utterly silent. She said to him, "I thought I had asked you to assist Hiei in fighting the Ten of Makai not set out to destroy Hiei, himself—and for what?" Youko and Hiei exchanged looks and neither of them said a thing. Genkan didn't bother to ask and tended to Hiei's wounds.  
  
After a few hours of completely repairing the gash and removing the poison from Hiei's veins, they were ready to follow after the Ten of Makai and retrieve the Aura from their grasp. However, Youko wasn't about to permit Hiei to travel with Genkan alone. Genkan led Hiei out of Kon City and noticed that Youko was following them. She stopped and turned to him. "What are you doing?"  
  
He looked around as if looking for an answer. "Well, I thought it be only right that I should join the two of you in this mission, considering that there is now an inapt lack of strength among you."  
  
"Do as you wish," Genkan replied and continued forward. Hiei glared at Youko as he walked by then hesitantly followed after.  
  
The sky began to darken and the trio hadn't a clue where the Ten of Makai could be. They tried to rely on Hiei's sense of the Aura but that confirmed to be useless at their present location. Two demons were spotted in the distance ahead of them on the rough path. Genkan jumped over to them and began to interrogate them. Youko and Hiei continued on in a steady pace. Hiei used telepathy to communicate with Youko. 'You're unneeded here.'  
  
Youko's ears twitched. 'Unneeded with you—and Genkan.'  
  
'That's right.'  
  
'On the contrary. I AM needed because there is no possible way that the two of you will be able to take down a mass of the Ten of Makai. It just can't be done, especially since you're both much weaker then your full strengths.' Youko paused. 'Besides—It would be stupid to leave YOU alone with Genkan. Although—I have come to know that you have a problem confessing your feelings for others...'  
  
'Can't I say the same about you?'  
  
"Heh, actually once this mission is over—I plan on asking Genkan to join me as a partner in thievery.'  
  
Hiei sweats a little. 'You call that confessing your true feelings?'  
  
"One step at a time...' Youko frowned, watching Hiei out of the corner of his eye.  
  
They both turned their attention to the path ahead and caught up to Genkan. The two lower-class demons were shrinking back in fear of Genkan. She shot them evil looks and they skittered off in the direction of Kon City. Youko and Hiei came to a stop next to Genkan, listening for any information she had gotten. She said, "Well, according to the locals, a mass of Youkai had traveled along this way heading southeast supposedly—They were also in a hurry so we have to hurry as well." Youko and Hiei nodded in agreement and they all moved on at a faster pace.  
  
The Oni Ruins was a sacred place of evil. It was said to be a place that birthed the most malignant of the wicked. Even the strongest of the demons were cautious in treading in such a place. Most avoided it entirely because if you took the wrong step you could be trapped and tormented for all eternity. This was the home of the Ten of Makai. Outside you could hardly believe that any breathing creature would inhabit such a place. It sat at the foot of a range of jagged mountains and the terrain was stricken with poisoned blooms of Death Nobaras. A river that reeked death flowed quietly throughout the area in front of the Oni Ruins. Not a breathing thing with a heartbeat could be found and a pin drop could easily be heard.  
  
However, inside the Oni Ruins and beneath the surface was a hundred powerful youkais. They were the Ten of Makai. Beside themselves, they also kept thousands of prisoners in confined cages and buried alive in the infested grounds. Spirit World of course couldn't interfere with the actions of the Ten of Makai because they resided in the regions of the Demon Underworld where they could only send demons (and creatures) as punishment or on inconspicuous missions. As long as the Ten of Makai never stepped into the Mortal Realm, they couldn't be touched.  
  
Ookami sat on a stone chair, flipping a silver coin in the air repeatedly. He was on a higher, secluded platform watching as youkais shoved weak prisoners into tormenting chambers. At his side the Aura was chained in the corner. She rocked back and forth, singing something under her breath. Riku and Kokufuu stood as guards on the platform; they were talking quietly so as not to disturb their leader. Ookami glanced back at the Aura and said, "They'll get theirs."  
  
----------  
  
Oooh... *shivers* Heehee, just kidding. Yay! I got the fifth chappy done! What will happen next!? Is Ookami setting a trap? Are Genkan, Youko, and Hiei walking into their death? Will Hiei kill Youko or Youko kill Hiei? Stay tuned to find out! Until next time, seyonora! (heh, spelling.) ^^; 


End file.
